bg Cetinje

Cetinje Royal Palace

- Dvorski Trg 4 -
The two-story building, which was built in the period that lasted from 1863 until 1867, was originally built for residential purposes. The Royal Garden was built in 1870 as a pine alley, and in 1971, the gardens were rearranged. The palace was supposed to be the residence of the family of Prince Petrović-Njegoš. It was inhabited by his successor, the country's first and only king, King Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš, and his wife Milena Petrović-Njegoš. Nikola was born on October 7, 1841, in the village of , in the home of the reigning House of Petrović as the son of and Anastasija Martinovich. Prince Nikola, who had been trained from infancy in martial and athletic exercises, spent a portion of his early boyhood in at the household of the Kustic family. While still in , on August 13, 1860, Nikola succeeded his assassinated uncle Danilo I as prince.
Nikola in the 1870s
In the period of peace which followed Nikola carried out a series of military, administrative, and educational reforms. The country was embroiled in a series of wars with the Ottoman Empire between 1862 and 1878. In 1867, he met the emperor in Paris, and in 1868 he undertook a journey to Russia, where he received an affectionate welcome from the tsar, . He afterwards visited the courts of and . His efforts to enlist the sympathies of the Russian imperial family produced important results for Montenegro; considerable subsidies were granted by the tsar and tsaritsa for educational and other purposes, and supplies of arms and ammunition were sent to Cetinje. In 1876, Nikola declared war against the Ottoman Empire, and his military reputation was enhanced by the ensuing campaign, and still more by that during the , during which he captured , , and . Nikola gave Montenegro its first constitution in 1905 following pressure from a population eager for more freedom. On 28 August 1910, during the celebration of his jubilee, he assumed the title of king. In January 1916, after the defeat of Serbia, Montenegro was also conquered by Austria-Hungary, and the Nikola fled to Italy and then to France. After the end of the , a meeting in voted to depose Nikola and annex Montenegro to Serbia. Nikola died on March 1, 1921, in France, at the age of 79, and was interred in the in Cetinje on October 1, 1989.
Nikola in 1909
At age 19, on 8 November 1860, he married in Cetinje, the 13 years old, daughter of a Vojvoda named and wife Jelena Vojvodić. Nikola and Milena had to total of nine daughters and three sons, which were named Ljubica, Milica, Anastasia, Marija, Danilo, Elena, Anna, Sofia, Mirko, Xenia, Vjera, and Peter. Five of his daughters were married, each to princes and kings, giving Nikola the nickname the father-in-law of Europe.
Nikola and his wife surrounded by his family in 1910
In 1926, the museum, founded in the same year, named after Nikola moved into the palace building. The museum showcases the political, military and cultural life of Montenegro from the Middle Ages until 1918. You can see the well-preserved interior of the castle and household items, as well as enjoy the collection of artwork, weapons, outfits, decorations, orders, and coins.
Part of the interior of the building
The most striking part of the building, which was built in the Neo-Classical style, is the area around the main entrance. There, at the same height as the roof, which contains a number of small domes, you will see a containing the of Montenegro. The coat of arms is held up by two angels, which are holding a in their other hand. The underneath the tympanum is secured with a stone balustrade with incorporated . Within the loggia, as well as around the main entrance doors, you can see several , which are all crowned with a Doric . The that are used on every corner give the building a nice sense of depth.
The building shown in an old postcard